June is Dairy Month

CHOCOLATE MILK! ICE CREAM! CHEESE!

Dairy stuff is so yummy.
And if you dont add chocolate and junk to it (like I do) it isn't too bad in the fat department and is packed with calcium.

Dairy is-
Cheese
Milk
Cream
Yogurt
Ice Cream

Yummy ice cream

 Yogurt (with strawberries and granola)

Oh yeah...!!! How can I forget grilled cheese sandwiches?
DELICIOUS :):)

Camera Day

June 29
CAMERA DAY

I am sure there are some cute camera crafts to make, but I am SOOO beind in everything I am not adding something else.

Camera day to us will just be us taking pictures all day.

I want to set up a little photo shoot with all of jazzmyns dress up clothes. I have her every day pictures, but sometimes it is cute to pose the kids to take pictures and smile the way the parents want. hahahaha


Well I want to share this cute little elmo camera attention maker thingy that I think is super cute for younger kids that dont realize they are supposed to be looking at the camera.
It has got to be pretty easy to make.
Probably a red hair scrunchy and some felt and some buttons. EASY!!!

I will post some princess pictures later.

National Chocolate Pudding Day

June 26
MORE CHOCOLATE.

I am definitely not complaining.

WHAT YOU NEED:
1/3 cup sugar                  
1/4 cup cornstarch                  
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa                  
1/4 teaspoon salt                  
3 cups Silk Pure Almond Vanilla                  
1 teaspoon vanilla and/or almond extract (I used vanilla)         
3 tablespoons butter


Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan.


Slowly whisk in Pure Almond.


Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking the entire time.


Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until mixture thickens.. about 4-5 mins.


Remove from heat and whisk in extract and butter.


Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate for atleast 1 hour.


EAT!!!


Picture tomorrow.



Does anyone have anything special to add to pudding?

National Pink Day

June 23

National PINK Day!!!!

There are tons of ways to celebrate PINK day.

We can wear pink all day.
We can eat pink food.

• Strawberry Ice Cream
• Grapefruit
• Strawberry Cupcakes
• Pink Lemonade
• Pink Dyed Rice Crispy Treats
• Cotton Candy
• Pink Sprinkle Donuts

We can plant pink roses.
Paint our nails pink.
Support Breast Cancer Awareness.

And the main thing that I REALLY want to do it have a little pink tea party for my daughter and her friends.
It would be so cute to have everything decorated in pink. A tiny white table with a pink table runner. Little pink dishes. Cute pink lemonade in tiny glasses. Petite pink food. Pink sparkles and pink balloons. All the attendees can wear pink. Ughh I can see it now.

What is your favorite PINK thing?

My girl wearing all pink

National Pecan Sandies Day

June 23

This is the first time I have tried to make these and my first time eating them.. So who knows how this is going to turn out :/      hahaha


Well, here goes nothing..

WHAT YOU NEED-
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 2 teaspoons)
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans (I accidently forgot I was going to half the recipe so I only had 1 1/2 cups pecans)
1/2 cup sugar for decoration(I probably used 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl cream together butter and white sugar.(Keep scraping the bowl)

Cream in the powdered sugar

Mix in the vegetable oil until it looks like a cake batter

Beat in eggs, one at a time

Stir in vanilla

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt

Mix into creamed mixture

Mix in pecans

Roll dough into 1 inch balls

And roll the balls in the 'decorating white sugar'

(I found it easiest to not care about the shape of the ball in the suagr mixture because the dough was so soft it kept flattening. I would kind of roll it just to cover it in sugar then, in one hand, roll it around to become round again)
(Also I would keep putting the mixture in the fridge to harden a bit)

Space out on cookie sheets

Bake for 10-12 minutes then cool on a wire rack

I like to always sift my powdered sugar so there isnt weird chunks or whatever.. hahaha
This is how WE sift

Get a larger bowl, the powdered sugar and a strainer.

Pour the sugar in the strainer over the bowl.

Keep shaking it back and fourth and all the sugar will fall through in little pieces.

ALSO
I could only find chopped pecans in smaller bags and since I needed more I just bought the bigger bag an decided to chop the pecans myslef. (It is cheaper this way and it takes all of 30 seconds to do it.)
Lay them out

Then cut.. hahahaha :)

After trying these cookies I am definitely not switching over from chocolate chip ;)


Maybe chocolate chips in these cookies? Or pecans in chocolate chip..? HMM

National Chocolate Eclair Day

YUM!!!

Just another excuse to eat a yummy treat.

WHAT YOU NEED
2 individual packages graham crackers
2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix (I used 1 box hat was 5.1 oz)
3 cups milk (I used about 2 3/4 cups)
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (I forgot to thaw)        
1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting (I used about half)

Line the bottom of a 9x13inch pan with graham crackers.

In a large bowl combine pudding mix and milk. Stir well. Add whipped topping.

Spread half of the mixture over the graham cracker mixture.

Top with another layer of graham crackers and add remaining pudding.

Top with the final layer of graham crackers.

Open frosting and remove all of the foil. Put in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Pour glaze over the final layer of crackers. (May not need all the frosting.)

Refrigerate until serving. (Try to make the night before so the pudding can absorb into the graham crackers.)

Since we have to wait so long to eat it Jazzmyn likes to lick the whisk.

And the spoon.

Do you have any good recipes for chocolate eclairs?

Go Skate Boarding Day

I am definitly not a skate boarding and I will not be participating in this activity today, but today is also about going outside, being active, and being creative.

Cute bench

We will go outside and play a different sport today.

I will post pictures when we decide which sport.

What are some of your favorite sports?

World Handshake Day

This year will be the 3rd world handshake day.

This day is for inspiration of international relationships.

You can participate by going with family and friends to an ocean, river, or stream and placing your joined hands into the water.

Today is a global connection of all people.

Ice Cream Soda Day

I love sweets!

An ice cream float is just for me.

My favorite is vanilla ice cream and coke.

What is your favorite combination of ice cream and soda?

First Day of Summer!

There are so many way to celebrate the first day of summer!

We can-
Go to the beach
Go swimming
Plant summer fruit
Bathing suit shopping
Go to the river
Eat watermelon!

We are swimming today, so it doesnt really need a picture.

Here are some fun pool games.

Relay Races- swim back and fourth from each side of the pool

Treasure Hunt- put pools toys or change in the bottom of the pool and everyone takes turns going to find their treasure

 Sand castle girly

Being a ham at the pool

Looking out to the beach

 River girl

 River rat

WATERMELON!! yummy

International Picnic Day

Gather up the kids and pack that picnic basket.

• Fried chicken
• Potato salad
• Watermelon
• Grapes
• Lemonade

These would be my perfect picnic foods.

What would you pack in your basket?



A Picnic Craft

Make your own binoculars! These are cute to look at nature and bugs with.
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/toystomake/a/blbinocr.htm

So cute for kids!
I will be posting Jazzmyn's pictures of creating the binoculars and the final product.

Do you have any cute picnic craft ideas?

Eat Your Vegetables Day

YUM.

We should be eating veggies everyday, but today can be a day where your kids can choose the veggie for lunch/dinner or how the veggie you choose is cooked.

Sometimes I am pretty bad at posting pictures. And today is a perfect example.

My veggie for the day was romaine lettuce.
(In a Caesar salad)

(By the way I am not the biggest fan croutons.. they are too crunchy)
I also had one of those steam fresh bags with rice and mixed veggies. Great way to get your veggies, it is yummy, it is cheap, and it is fast.
But my favorite veggies that I would have made today if I had time would be

• steamed green beans
• steamed carrots
• artichokes
• steamed asparagus

If your kids 'don't like vegetables' there are recipes that you can hide veggies in.

Chop up bell peppers and throw them into a chicken quesadilla. :):)

What are your favorite vegetables?

crazy holidays and quick fudge

I am a huge fan of a random, crazy holidays. For example, today is National Fudge Day. How fun! I think the silly holidays help keep each day entertaining and not so boring. Doing something different every day is really exciting for kids, too.


EASY QUICK FUDGE

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter (cut into smaller pieces)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but definitely not for me)
(can't get the picture straight)                              
1. Place all ingredients in a large microwavable bowl.

2.Microwave on medium until chips are melted, about 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute. Once melted stir in the nuts, if you are into that.
3. Pour into well-greased 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Refrigerate until set.

(I used a 7x5-inch glass dish)

WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY:
I would have cut the butter up smaller because the chocolate melted faster than the butter.

Do you have a good fudge recipe?
Do you have any 'family' holidays?

Number 1!

First post!

Ha Ha

So I just wanted to explain a few things.
I am OBSESSED with holidays, cupcakes, and being a mommy.

(My favorite thing is eating a cupcake themed for a holiday that I made with my daughter) :)

I love the 'made up' wacky holidays and holi-weeks.
LIKE-

• send a card to a friend day
• umbrella day
• blueberry cheesecake day
• national camping week

Just a fun way to make every day a special day.

I realize not every family can celebrate each silly holiday.
I suggest making up your own family holiday on any odd day.
For instance, say there are no birthdays or anniversaries in June. Make June 19 your family's
Donut Day! Mark it on your calendar and each year, no matter what, you have donuts that day.



YAY!!!

Power of a Smile Day

Smile at EVERYONE you see today.

A simple smile can change someones mood for the day.
Then they will smile at everyone they see.. and so on.

So get on it.

Get out your tooth brush. Brush those teeth. Then get out and SMILE.


CHEEEEEEEESE :)